Her last love
by Graceless God
Summary: A promise that transcends even death. In her darkest hour Caroline calls his name and Klaus finds his way home.
1. Chapter 1

_He heard her, he felt her, the scent of her hair, the light tease of her laughter. Yet she was so far away, farther than he could reach, farther than he could remember. Who was he , how long had he been here ..? Who was Caroline .. and why did her name torture his mind so? Why could he not forget her? He had promised her .. he was Klaus Mikaelson .. and he had promised Caroline he would be her last love .. _

_The fire came again and with it the agony. His brief lucidity burned away once again and thus it had been all of these years. A soul that would not die rising to the top of the mortal heap .. to look down upon his daughter .. Hope .. and always to mourn Caroline, always this longing for her, this drive to keep a promise long ago made._

The cold air stung her face and she groaned blue green eyes opening to a dimly lit world as the cell door opened. How long had she been here? How long since she had seen her daughters? She had gone long stretches before without contacting them and Ric probably hadn't even started looking for her yet..

She turned her eyes away from the light as the figure appeared before her, a tall specter in a dark robe.. " I think you are ready aren't you Mrs Salvatore…? " He said dragging her from the wall. She tried to fight but she was so tired .. so much ver vain in her system. They had questioned her so many times, the gemini coven.. Always about the girls , her twins .. they wanted them. They wanted to know everything about the school and she had told them nothing for so long she had forgotten to count the days. She had protected her girls and she would do it forever.

The corridor was dank, it smelled different. They were taking her somewhere else? She hardly felt the sting of the ropes anymore when they tied her down. She was already escaping to another place another time .. She had felt so safe so invincible.. if she was in trouble he would come and the thing that made her afraid would be gone. That was so long ago. He was long dead but the memory kept her sane .. She imagined him bursting through that door the passionate way he would say her name and most of all what he would do to these monsters the justice he would give her ..she would be safe again.

She felt the hard sting of someone slapping her face her eyes focused for a moment .. " Not today ..we have something special for you. " Her captor said smiling sickeningly The door opened and something entered that was so dark it sucked the warmth out of the room, it made the magic in her skin crawl somehow she just knew this thing was evil pure evil.

" You know our deal .. Azreal the man hissed but the new figure was just silent he walked to her placing a cold hand upon her forehead .. " Poor dear it will be over soon ..." He said stoically a strange cold began to wash over her .. She slowly lost the feeling in her body, she could feel her eyes closing no matter how hard she fought and then she felt it .. the intense heat.

She was kneeling on hard black rock. The smell of brimstone heavy to her nose, she tried to get up but he was there his hand about her throat. " You should have talked now you belong to me .. He said grinning. " They will place another in your body and extract the information they need themselves. A pity one such as you does not belong here ..You see this is a place for those who have not been redeemed a true pity.

His hand plunged deep into her chest and it felt like a thousand times any agony she had ever felt. She screamed tears forming hot in her eyes for the first time in ages. He tossed her to the ground drawing hot trails of scorned flesh down her sides with his fingers .. " Let go .. give in " he whispered as if he needed her to and she felt the agony ware against her She would never see her daughters again she was all alone and in that agony in her delusion she screamed his name .. Klaus ! She screamed it over and over again thrashing against his hands. She cried for him begged for him. Begged for him to swoop in like he always did, begged for him to take away this pain to take her back to her daughters. Even as she felt herself becoming lite, felt herself severing from her body and as her cries did ring through this world.. this world of pain and fire and in the inferno something stirred.

_Klaus Klaus god help me Klaus ! _

He was Klaus… wasn't he? He was Klaus Mikaelson and that voice who was she? Something began to stir in the burned cinders of his soul, that which had not moved in so many a year began to creak and groan. the rocks and molten magma began to shift around him who was she ..? He had to remember, he had to go to her he had promised .. She was .. she was CAROLINE ! The name tore through him and a hand clawed free of the molten fire and rock, followed by another. He dragged himself free flesh burned to the bone healing all around him.. With every cry he gained speed, with every frantic plea fury began to build inside him. Soon he was a blur even as his scorched face began to take form once again rage bloomed in his eyes.

She felt herself begin to slip away, felt the cry began to fade and then the world exploded the figure in front of her crumpled and rolled across the ground. A snarling beast stood over the top of her, as if madness had incarnated to protect her. When those arms scooped her up.. she knew she was safe somehow she knew he was here.

Klaus let his eyes dart frantically around and when they found a shining portal he leaped carrying them both through. Falling naked and cold to a dark floor. He stood up staggering finding her tied to a table he quickly tore the ropes away gathering her up .. "Caroline.." He said softly desperately and was rewarded as she stirred but did not wake. He whirled for the door and was confronted by terrified witches. They never got to utter a chant before he tore their hearts from their bodies with his free hand spraying blood across them both in the process. He was gone amidst the chaos he spirited them both away.

_Caroline … Caroline .._

She had always loved the way he said her name. Almost breathless as if he were telling her he loved her every single time and only proclaiming it with her name. Her eyes fluttered open painfully she felt soft sheets tucked in around her. The room around her was foreign clean and cool. She turned her head and then she saw him just sitting there staring at her worry plane on his face and yet he seemed so captivated by her.

" Hello love .. " He said softly stroking her hair back from her face and she sat up so quickly it hurt her throwing her arms around him crying into the safety of his chest.. " You came .." wet tears stained his shirt as she just wept.

"Of course I came ..nothing could have stopped me .. nothing .. " He said powerful conviction in his voice.

She looked up into those deep terrifying eyes and she did something she had thought lost to her forever she kissed him, it was soft weak and she was trembling but she kissed him and he kissed her back full of longing and love.

She must have stayed there like that in his arms for hours before she finally found herself able to speak to think.

" Klaus my girls .. they are going to hurt my girls .." She said and he kissed her forehead . ."No they are not love .. I will not let them.."

She smiled he was here and she knew somehow she felt it nothing would ever hurt her again or anything she loved.


	2. Chapter 2

Azreal grimaced as he walked the long corridor's of hell. Every fiber of his being told him to run but when Kain called, when the lord of hell beckoned a demon obeyed. Even when he felt his death all but certain.

He longed for the days before the falling of the veil, days when the false dimensions like the other side kept the proper hell dimension sealed. When his kind knew freedom and anonymity but that was not the new order. When the veil had fallen and finally the false hell had been obliterated, the first order of the lord of hell had been to bring to heel any who did not adhere to strict discipline. Business was no longer chaos, no longer amusement it was souls and if you did not produce you became useless ash.

Pulling his cellphone he checked himself in the camera. His old body had been damaged in that unfortunate misshape. He much preferred this new host, tall and lean with blond hair and vibrant blue eyes a young and enticing face. He could work with this if he survived the day. He he had purchased a proper suit even and he summoned most of his courage as he stood tall and walked through the obsidian doors.

Seated there on a high stone throne surrounded by his little loyal worker bees was Kain. A lord dressed in all of his finery and yet still a long haired savage, a kin slayer once damned to burn for eternity by god himself, freed in this godless world. He smiled through long raven locks that obscured devious green eyes. He was death clad in Armani and the way he smiled brought sickness to the pit of his stomach.

"Azreal how pleasant to see you" he droned in a sardonic monotone that spoke volumes to his discontent where his face did not.

"My lord .. ." He was careful to bow deep nearly kissing the floor as he prostrated himself before him. Many had died in the early days of the new regime for not doing so. He was not about to hasten his demise.

" Our clients the gemini are not pleased. Need I remind your of our lucrative arrangement with them? You had the simplest of tasks. Replace the soul of one baby vampire with another .. for a simple information extraction. Now you have lost the vampire and worse perhaps far far worse you released a powerful soul back into the mortal plane.. Klaus Mikaelson is a name that strikes fear into the hearts of many of our clients if they learn of his release it will be seen as a sign of weakness. "

" My lord .. I .. . " He stumbled trying to find the right words to save his existence .. " It is unheard of for the confined to rise such as he did.. never has such a thing taken place I cannot explain it .."

" Klaus Mikaelson is no ordinary confined.. he is a beast worthy of even my own admiration.. and if he escaped it was because of some fault of your own.. .However I am feeling merciful ..a low level dreg such as yourself had no chance of holding him once he was free .. and as such you will be given another chance. " Find him" He said flatly gesturing toward the door… " Now get out of my sight .."

He did everything but run for those doors and did not exhale until he was on the other side of them. Klaus Mikaelson? Years ago even his kind knew to stay away from the psychotic original hybrid. The only thing that scared him more than chasing that man down was unfortunately sitting on the other side of those doors .

He took one step and flickered in a cloud of ghostly smoke appearing on a street in San Fransico. The link had to be the girl. He recalled the absolute fury in his eyes, the way he had stood over that vampire as if he were protecting something precious. He had set his feelers already upon her identity learning all they could about this Caroline Forbes Salvatore. The head mistress of a school that sought to enlighten the supernatural under the noses of humanity.

She had been there when Klaus Mikaelson had perished he knew that much. He could not help but think there was a greater link here something that had dragged a long decimated soul from the fires of oblivion. Perhaps the key to his resurrection would also be the key to his return to captivity? Sadly the moment she had gone into Klaus's hands it was as if she had ceased to exist. The man had run for over a thousand years. Amassed connections across the world to rival even that of the order of the confined. In short he was very capable of becoming a ghost, a wisp of smoke that could simply slip through your fingers.

Fortune had it that the Gemini coven had already given him a particularly useful bit of information. She had twin daughters and if they were threatened maybe he could draw her from hiding and with her, the foul hybrid that had nearly cost him his life.

He booked a flight to Virginia and began reading the dossier his sources had emailed him. Josie and Lizzie Saltzman. He had chosen his new host for a very calculated reason, this pretty young face was his ticket into the good graces of the twins whats more he was a witch and that would be useful in gaining admission to the school.

The mission was simple infiltrate the school and acquire valuable leverage he could use to draw his enemies out. The entire thing was an ill planned mess but given the circumstances a messy plan was better than a mess of his guts on the floor. He had little doubt the higher ups and Kain himself were watching him very closely and another failure would result in his head being introduced to a pike.


	3. Chapter 3

(Fair warning ladies and gentlemen I was feeling mischievous tonight and this is where that mature rating comes into play. )

The sun filtered through the curtains casting exquisite shades of gold through magnificent hues of blond hair. He had been awake for hours just watching the subtle movement of her chest. What was it about her that drove him mad? How could one woman imprison him heart and soul so perfectly and yet bring with her chains such happiness and peace? A selfish part of him wanted her like this forever, just the two of them but he knew that could not be. Her daughters needed her , his own daughter did not even know he lived, they had to go back. For now however he was content to watch her sleep, his beautiful breathtaking Caroline.

She stirred against him in her sleep curling to his chest drawing her lips so irresistibly close he could almost taste them. His eyes were drawn to them and in his longing he was weak. His hand slid across his chest lifting her chin softly and he kissed her only to find her eyes open staring into his own depriving him of all thought and logic.

He lay simply transfixed for the longest moment as a soft smile curved upon her face. She was biting her lip just looking into his eyes and when she spoke it was with the softest tease.. " Do it again ..." her words were breathless and his lips collided with hers. Her fingers tangling with his dragging them beneath the blanket and up her thigh. He rolled them both feeling her gasp into his mouth as his weight fell upon her and when finally he broke their kiss it was only to give into another ravenous hunger. His hands slid beneath her night gown taking in her every curve as they slid upward toward her breasts.

There was an insanity to his eyes a possession as if all he did touch with his fingers would instantly become his and it was with a fierce hunger that he devoured her with his hands. Kissing his way up her stomach as he slipped the night gown over the top of her head feeling her unbutton his pants. He leaned back tossing the nightgown to the floor letting her sit up. The way her eyes never left his as she freed the buttons sent a shiver down his spine. He slid forward letting her drag his pants down with her own hands before he kicked them off breath hitching at the feel of her finger nails across his sides and back as she brought her fingers back up to tease between his shoulders.

He kissed her his finger coming to rest upon her lips .. " slow down love ..." he said feeling the way she greedily tugged him to her. Their first time had been a fiery moment of lust and this time he intended it to be different. He fell to her breasts worshiping their curvature, teasing hardened nipples with his tongue eliciting the most perfect sharp moan as she leaned back against the sheets. Her fingers going to his hair as he moved lower kissing trails of hot breath along her stomach.

Her impatience was palpable, he felt the way she almost pushed him downward but he would not be detoured from his direction. His hands traced along her legs and he kissed above her waste line feeling her arch toward him. Finally he found his destination kissing softly suckling at her sweet mound causing her to jerk and release a loud gasp. His eyes never left her living for the soft O of her mouth, the way her fingers tightened in his hair, her legs hitched about him.

Hot and wet his tongue found her as he delved into her still suckling with his lips with every invasion of her depths. Her gaps grew harsher more wanting his hands tightening about her legs as he got his fill of her sweetness. He began to tease her precious jewel reveling in the way she thrashed beneath his hands moaning louder and louder pulling him into her harshly by his hair.

" P…p oh god please Klaus !"

She begged for him to take her and he moved suddenly almost violently dropping her to the bed. His eyes delving deep into her own as he pulled her legs up around him. He felt her grind against him and he shuddered smiling wickedly .. " Say it again " he all but begged …

" Please … Klaus" She pushed herself up against him and he filled her to her brink sending a convulsion through her body. He let her slowly slide back down to the sheets and plunged into her again their bodies grinding in unison as their breath caught tangled together. His eyes following her every groan her every move as if he were only falling in love with her more and more with every moment.

He pushed her arms up over her head pinning her letting her buck to meet his every thrust. On and on he went as they rolled in the midst of a longing they had never been able to sate. Not just for sex for this closeness, for the love and passion they had both been deprived for so long. They rocked together staring into each others eyes drawing closer and closer to what their bodies so desperately desired.

His lips met hers again in cataclysmic kiss and he felt her began to quiver beneath him. A desperation rising to feel her pleasure as he plunged hard and fast into her depths causing her to pant wildly and yet never break his gaze. When finally she found her release they climaxed together in the morning light as if their two hearts, their very souls were one. He collapsed against her lost in the scent of her hair, the euphoria of a moment he had thought he would never feel. The moment when he made love to the woman who would hold his heart for all eternity.

He fell to her side feeling her crawl up his chest to nestle there.. and he simply smiled … " I love you Caroline ..."

The words came so naturally now where once they were weakness they filled him with such strength and with four words she washed his soul clean of a thousand years of hate.

"I love you too "

Tomorrow they would face the world, tomorrow he would step back into the desperate coil of decit that had always been their lives but for now he would rest in peace, rest knowing that Caroline loved him and that would be his always and forever.


	4. Chapter 4

I'_m worried about Damon...he'll listen to you .. _Bonnie sighed she had just crossed in to Richmond and asked herself for the thousandth time why she was doing this. Of course it was Elena, always Elena and her drama. She had left Damon over a year ago and he had been in a downward spiral ever since. Leave it to her to make a man change everything he was and loved being then drop him on his face.

Now she had to call her and use her god daughter to pull her back into this mess. No one had been able to find him for months but she knew were he was. He would call her sometimes at night in his drunkenness, always the same pause as if he wanted to say something and then a click. She knew it was him and it wasn't hard to trace a call.

He was in Richmond and one handy locater spell later she knew exactly where he was. What she didn't know was why she was doing any of this? Either that or she was in denial and in spite of herself she missed him but that was something she never voiced out loud or allowed herself to think. He was an asshole who never called her unless he was drunk and had run out on his kid.

She pulled into the parking lot of what appeared to be the seediest of the seedy bars and sure enough his car was parked out front. " You can do this Bonnie its just Damon .." She said fixing her hair in the mirror of her Prius before getting out and walking toward the front doors.

The whole place smelled like badly mopped floors and beer and she turned her nose up walking to the bar. " I am looking for someone .. Damon Salvatore?" The bartender paused and looked her up and down.. "He lives up stairs honey but do yourself a favor a pretty girl like you doesn't want anything to do with a guy like that"

She shook her head it was always comforting when even the shady bartender warned you about hanging out with someone and you were about to do it anyway. " Ill be fine thanks " She said quickly turning and going up the stairs. There was a door at the top and she knocked " Open up Damon I know you are in there. " She used her best Bonnie is going to set Damon on fire if he doesn't behave voice and she was surprised when some bleached blond answered the door.

" Who the hell are you ?" She asked for too aggressively and Bonnie grinned.

"Oh I am Damon's baby momma and hes late on his child support" She said pushing passed the girl rudely..." Yuck hes got kids.. " The girl seemed to deflate and storm out and she just looked at the horrible mess she found strewn out across the couch..

Bourbon bottles, half eaten food it looked like a pig lived here…

She almost couldn't imagine Damon her snarky well dressed asshole friend Damon living in this sty. Her eyes moved cautiously to the open bedroom door and she shook her head There he was sprawled out like a corpse in a pair of boxers.. She walked into the room and put her hand on her hip shaking her head.

"Damon … wake up .." There was a bark to her voice a seriousness and she huffed when he just laid there.

" Fine Salvatore .." She raised her hand and made a soft flick of her wrist and the whole bed turned over sending him sprawling out form under the mattress. " WHAT THE FUCK SOMEONE'S GONNA.. "

His words died mid sentence and he just stared at her as if he didn't know exactly what to say.

"Bonnie… what the hell are you doing here ." He finally managed. He looked awkward as if he were ashamed for her to see him like this.

" Oh nothing just coming to see the good for nothing asshole who's supposed to be my best friend." She said glaring at him. "Damon your kid hasn't seen you in months ..Elena called me."

"Elena of fucking course it was Elena and of course she called you god that man eating bitch." He groaned .. "Well as you can see I am fine just peachy so if you will excuse me the bar is calling me."

He tried to step around her and she planted her finger in his chest. " No Damon the shower is calling you and then you are coming with me so I can make sure you have a proper meal before I chew your ass off."

Damon looked at her flustered and turned toward the bathroom " Goddamn it." He said slamming the door shut and the sound of running water filled the room. She turned finding one of the only chairs she really trusted and just sat down waiting on him.

_He was never the same after you left Bonnie .. I just got tired of sharing him with someone who was never here .. being the replacement for the person he realized too late he wanted._

Elena's words still played over in her head heavy with that particular insinuation. She breathed a heavy sigh. " Bonnie Bennett what the hell are you doing here really?" She asked herself out loud. The truth was she didn't even know, it would have been so easy to just get on another plane, head to Cairo or Italy. Anywhere but Virginia, anywhere but right here with Damon Salvatore and yet here she sat trying to save his ass one more time. Even if it might lead her down the path to damnation herself.


	5. Chapter 5

( Ok guys before we get to this lovely chapter I have planned I got a wonderful review from TwilightHybrid and thought I would include my response to clear up a few points. No plot spoilers though sorry .

Good question, I will try to answer a few of them without spoiling too much plot. I have to explain the concept of hell I am rolling with here first. Firstly the main concept is this .. Before the other side existed or Cades realm there was an actual hell ruled by a powerful overlord.. due to events I have yet to explain it was sealed and for ages it remained so until the other side being destroyed and then Cades hell.. the balance was disrupted enough it broke the seal on this ancient place and now once again there is heaven .. or honestly wherever the hell they go when they find peace .. and the original hell.

However borrowing a concept from supernatural .. there is a balance and there are far too many souls in heaven due to the absence of the one true hell. Kain.. (we will call him the devil..) A extremely powerful demon has marshaled his forces and through deals with various entities including the gemini coven ..( sacrifices ) He is trying to restore that balance. Klaus wasn't so much brought to Caroline as she was brought to him .. in a massive blunder by our new friend Azreal.. She was brought to hell Where he had been suffering only able to briefly watch over his loved ones since his death.. Her cries awakened him and through sheer force of will and love for Caroline he clawed his burned decimated body from the fires of hell to save her. The gemini had planned for Azreal to pull her soul from her body and replace it with another to gain information and leverage on the girls. ( Yep he screwed up on that one ) He escaped through the gateway Azreal used to bring her there in the first place.

In terms of Kain's interest each soul has a value and a soul like Klaus Mikaelson's held significant value. He also saw him as a worthy foe and having him imprisoned was a plus. Now he fears those they have dealings with will see his escape as a weakness and shift alliances when confronted with facing the hybrid king.

In terms of the other things you will have to wait and see. I can tell you the Bamon theme will be a slow burn with a redemption arc and some unexpected twists.)

" Ric he's welcomed here or I am not either do you understand me ?" Caroline's eyes shown fierce and powerful and Klaus couldn't help but marvel at her radiance suppressing a chuckle at the way Alaric Saltzman shrank under the heat of that magnificent gaze. She was truly his queen and was always meant to be.

" Caroline I wont have him here putting the students in danger " He protested "hes a monster " He added as if that explained his entire stance.

" That monster as you call him has kept me alive more times than I can count your choice Alaric " she used his full name and Ric wilted. " He stays or I go. " She was downright venomous. " Goddamn it Caroline are you sure he can help our girls?"

" Ric if nothing else anyone coming after them is going to think twice and you know it " She said in a very matter of a fact tone.

" The fact is Saltzman you need me and you and your entire sideshow couldn't make leave Caroline's side if your lives depended on it. Besides once she knows of my rebirth who's side exactly do you think my daughter is going to take?"

" Klaus calm down.." Caroline cautioned but he held his hand up. " I am calm he needs to understand the situation. I burned in hell all of these years separated from the two things I love eternally more than anything else in this world. This beautiful amazing woman and my daughter. I will fight until my last drop of blood to insure their safety and what she loves so it is with me. I will do the same with your daughters are you willing to deprive them of my protection?"

Caroline's jaw was doing that wonderful half sigh she did when she didn't know what to say anymore. He watched the realization dawn in Saltzman's eyes. He needed to understand that they were fighting to protect the same things with equal measure.

" You need to tell Hope " Ric said as if he had given up the argument " She deserved to know even before me "

He grabbed his phone and dialed Hope. " Hope can you come to my office something important has come up." He hung the phone up and just sat down he didn't know what to do about any of this and it was apparent.

Klaus stepped off to the side of the room and the door opened a few minutes later revealing Hope Mikaelson in full wonder woman mode ready to kick the hell out of whatever had _come up. _" Caroline your back!" She said happily and threw her arms around the blond hugging her tight.

" Hello my not so littlest wolf.." Klaus whispered softly from behind her and she froze emotion playing hard across her face staring at Caroline who nodded. " Its him honey" She said tears brimming in her own eyes.

Hope spun around and threw herself at him and he caught her in a hug. " Dad ?" she said amidst a stream of tears that rolled down her cheeks and stung him with every drop. " I am here child I am back and I will not leave you again " He swore hugging her tighter, her head resting just beneath his chin as he rocked her back and forth. " Ive got you" Emotion strained at his voice he had all he had ever wanted right here in this room and he was never letting it go again.

Klaus smiled thumbing through the pages of a book in the library. " Oh my the great evil?" I should be flattered I suppose?" He smiled at Hope and she shook her head " Oh yes you are still infamous." She teased him a look of such happiness on her face all he could think was he never wanted to see anything else on her face again.

"So you and Mrs Salvatore huh?" She said and he looked down laughing. " That is a long and complicated story love. " He smiled mischievously at her. " Besides I hear my daughter has become most infamous herself a bit of a super hero around here ? To think a Mikaelson dawning a cape and obnoxious tights the embarrassment."

'DAD!" She slapped him in the chest playfully and he fained pain .." Oh don't hurt me now you know old brittle bones."

" However there was one disturbing development" he said a look of deadly seriousness on his face.

" Dad whats going on she asked sudden worry in her eyes.

" I hear some boy has ordained to court my daughter without my consent I will need to meet him. "

" No bad dad bad Ill get Caroline! You are not going to scare the crap out of my boyfriend, it happens enough around here without you giving him a heart attack" He took some measure of joy in the fact that she actually seemed worried he might actually eat him or something much worse.

" Oh fine I suppose given the circumstances he can keep his life " He said lazily as if he were handing down mercy.

" Hope you understand noone can know that Caroline or myself has returned to this place. Not right now. I am sure Caroline will tell her daughters but other than that this must remain a closely guarded secret until I find a way to deal with our enemies."

"Until we find a way " She said fiercely and it almost filled him with sadness to see how much she had grown. How much he had missed

" You are so much like your mother she would be as proud of you as I am Hope. " He saw the moment of sadness creep into her eyes and he hugged her to him. " I have missed you more than any words could ever express " How do you feel about Caroline ?" He asked her a peculiar glint in his eyes and Hope felt her face contort. " Oh god don't tell me I might have Lizzie Saltzman as a step sister "

" You may one day at that little wolf " He said and walked out of the library. He and Caroline could not stay here and apparently Caroline had just the place he was looking forward to what she had up her sleeve.


	6. Chapter 6

The Salvatore school for the young and gifted. A wonderful place for freaks to pretend they were something else, imagine themselves human with any hope of returning to the ignorance of what the world deemed normality. Azreal had found it easy enough to get in, this body had another major perk, the boy Christian Peek was already on the list for the year. What he hadn't counted on was just how utterly annoying this girl was ..

" Come on you know you want to .." She said standing in front of him with her books. " You read my mind gorgeous .." he said taking her books for her. He didn't understand how something could be both clinically insane and so unabashedly perky, it defied the laws of nature and he deeply regretted not deciding to go after the shy one .

" After class we have a date with Hope and her hobbit don't forget" she said turning around and giving him the most conspiratory kiss before taking her books and walking into class. He certainly hoped this was not where courtship had gone all over the world he was about to tare his hair from his scalp. This girl with her rules and her .. power plays it was as if she were a demon in human form if they could harness her energy they would rule the world .

Taking a deep irritated breath he vanished around the corner. He had things to do and a very short window to do them without detection. He went to the headmasters office door and held his hands out whispering an incantation that released the seal and stepped inside sliding it shut behind him.

The place was far too neatly organized for the chronic alcoholic he knew occupied it. That meant someone else organized it he observed as he thumbed through the pages in the files only finding a lot of stupidity, a few notes on the merger he already knew about. There was an old journal which he quickly pocketed and exited it looked important and it was better than nothing.

A whispered incantation resealed the door and he walked around the corner into a decidedly cute girl with the look of the devil in her eyes .. " Oo cutting class really? Here I thought you were going to be a poster boy " She said giving him an eye up and down.

" If you are gonna cut class and not get caught I think you need proper instruction.." She said poking him in the chest .. " Follow me newbie.." He had other rooms to check and this book needed to be cloaked but he knew if he bolted it might be trouble so he followed her.

She lead him into the woods and then to what he guessed might have been a loft once, where she dropped down and handed him a half bottle of bourbon. " Refreshment .." He took it remembering his role in all of this . " I uh…we will get in trouble"

She rolled her eyes at him. " You can cut the crap I know what you are doing cozying up to the headmasters daughter to fly under the radar. You aren't and idiot you watch everything all the time I can tell you counted every exit in this room when you stepped in."

There was something about this girl. She was not like the rest, it was as if she existed on a totally different level he slid down and took a drink of the bourbon. " I like to think I am not that obvious " He said giving her a devilish smile. " If you can tell then why let me get away with it" he asked simply.

" Because Lizzie Saltzman takes advantage of everyone and walks around like she rules this school its nice to see her on the other end, it wont work though eventually she will go freaks on you and light you on fire because you forgot to smile at her like shes a princess "

" Now are you gonna tell me what you took?" He blinked incredulously at her fumbling for a story completely caught off guard. " They they are teaching us such boring magic " He finally outed with.. I was hoping to find something in this. He said taking the book from inside his coat. " First month and already raiding Doctor Saltzmans office you have potential" she said taking it and thumbing through it.

"Not a bad find but sorry to tell you its just a history of a famous clan of witches from around here"

She flipped to the middle and opened a hollow page .. luckily where he hides his weed .." She opened the center of the book and pulled out a joint lighting it ." Like I said a good find but if you want the good stuff you gotta know his hiding place. "

She was absolutely wicked and he couldn't help admiring it. The way her own motivations and hungers danced behind her eyes. Actually she was the one with potential and he felt the gears turning inside his head. " Ill tell you what I will help you get Lizzie if you help me get ahead of this absolutely horrid learning curve?" He offered smiling.

" I think I can work with that .." I am Penelope " He paused and took the marijuana cigarette from her inhaling it . ." Christian " He fained between exaggerated coughs. He was liking this more and more he could use this as a distraction while he gained information and the girls knowledge of the school would make it easy.

He watched her for a moment feeling this uneasy feeling inside himself that caught him off guard. He might actually like this one. That meant he had to keep her at arms length. His kind did not like anyone because their life, hell their bodies were transient and ever changing things. He might use her today and have to kill her tomorrow.


	7. Chapter 7

Damon growled fidgeting with his fork as he skewed a bite of pancake and it fell off his fork. He had agreed to hear Bonnie out but all of this was just getting too damn nonpaying. He had been just fine boozing the remainder of his now inconsequential and pathetic existence away. Hating his brother for taking the choice away from him. Now here he was trying to lie his way out of a situation with the last person on earth he could ever bullshit.

" I'm fine Bonnie he said dropping the fork and putting his hand on the table giving up. " I am just blowing off a little steam. He lied and he knew it and the worst part was he knew before the last word left his mouth that Bonnie knew he lied as well.

" Bullshit Damon.. you can't even hold a fork. Look at yourself you are shaking and I know why. You haven't had a drink since last night, they are called withdrawals Damon you have problem. " She said it with that lovely biting tone that had always secretly made him feel so goddamn ashamed of himself. He hated himself for the way he watched the small tell tell curve of her lip, that told him she was worried and pretending to be irritated. The way those eyes seemed to burn through him and look at his very soul rooting out all of his secrets.

" Bonnie what do you want me to say that I can't deal with the consequences of the choice my brat brother made for me ? That I miss being what I was so badly that I fantasize about it in every drunken stupor ? _That I missed you so bad it was killing me inside ? _He felt that last one dangerously close to being spoken on the end of his tongue and he almost didn't want to stop it.

" Because its all true Bonnie I am miserable " He said fighting the urge to cry and ruin his credibility entirely. " I am so damn alone and I don't know what to do about it. I didn't love Elena and it was the biggest mistake of my life to think I did." There it was again, so close to the real truth he was avoiding. _I didn't love Elena because it should have been you from the start._ That was what they did in the movies right? The sudden dramatic confession but the truth was he didn't deserve her anymore, he was nothing now.

" Shut up and get over yourself Damon. " He startled slightly at the sharpness in her tone. " You don't think I am lonely, you don't think I miss my parents, Grams, Enzo? He would have to have been blind to not see the hurt that came with that last name as it played across her face. He loathed himself the jealous pang that hit him. " Do you think I didn't wonder why my best friend Damon, just decided he didn't need to call me anymore?"

He had stopped calling because he couldn't handle the accusation in Elena's eyes. He couldn't stop the momentary leap of happiness in his voice when he answered her call. He had stopped calling her because the way he missed her told him oh so how much he needed her in his life. Elena never made him feel that way. He needed her and when he looked at his daughter he felt so guilty for not loving her mother.

" Do you think I didn't wonder why you abandoned me?" He lashed out not even knowing why he did it .. " You were always there, pushing me , changing me, calling me on my bullshit and without you all the sudden I didn't know which way was up I needed you!" He said exasperation in his voice and he instantly regretted it. Bonnie she always took everyones weight on her shoulders. He saw the way she took that to heart, the blame she let inside because of his stupid words.

He wanted to tell her he was full of shit. Take it all back just to get that look out of her eyes. She didn't need to be responsible for him, she didn't need to have that weight in her eyes again but he couldn't because Damon Salvatore could never get it right could he ?"

His thoughts scattered like smoke in the night when he felt her hand on top of his. He would never forget the first time he had held her hand, the time he thought would be their first and last. The exact moment he realized this witch was worth the world, that Bonnie Bennett was something special. There had been a slow descent into it after that. No matter how he dragged his feet, no matter what he did he was falling for her. Then he had been given the choice and that day he should have given up on Elena. He had the chance to save her to have her back and he chose Bonnie. He put Elena to the side like it was nothing. He had played it off like some kind of personal growth but the truth was in that moment he didn't care if Elena ever woke up as long as Bonnie lived.

Then it had all been over, he had lost everything he had ever been. He got Elena but somehow it felt more like his duty now. They had their family, their beautiful daughter, and always he felt empty like something was missing. He told himself it was his vampireism, it was his brother but the truth was there was this Bonnie Bennett sized hole in his soul he couldn't fill.

Damon just stared at her hand over his. The perfect way it fit and tears broke from his eyes his face contorting in the ugliest deepest cry that made the booths around them uncomfortable enough to get up. " I dont know who I am anymore Bonnie." He cried trembling and before he could realize the meaning of her movements she was on the other-side of the booth hugging him.

" Listen to me Damon I don't know who I am either, but what I am is here for you. We will figure it out together ok?" He trembled against her, the smell of her lilac shampoo, the the tickle of her hair against his face almost lulling him to peace. He just began to shake in her arms nodding his head because he couldn't speak. Even if it was only in this moment, even if he was an impossible idiot who couldn't speak his mind. For an instant that hole was filled and he felt like he could breath. Bonnie was right here and in this moment he was alright, he didn't feel alone.


	8. Chapter 8

(A little Klaus and Caroline sweetness before I get my hands dirty in the next chapter)

Klaus sighed looking around the rather modest home. The novelty of this whole thing far from lost on him. The magical forces of hell itself were after them and he was sitting here in a small forgotten home in mystic falls playing house with the love of his life. He gave her this insane look as she handed him a broom unsure if she could possibly be serious.

"Oh is the big bad wolf too good to sweep the floor?" Caroline looked up at him with a half smile and he couldn't help but return it.

" He might just blow the house down instead?" He smirked eying her up and down as if he had suddenly forgotten he was holding a broom at all.

" Come on Klaus .. this is my moms house and I want to get it fixed up again please?" She said it in this sad way that made her eyes seem bigger, her arms crossed in front of her and he couldn't help but kiss her.

"For you love I suppose a little honest work is no price to pay." He looked down at the floor and grumbled beginning to sweep it.

"Good boy and ill have a nice treat for you later ." She teased vanishing around the corner. He could just imagine the faces of his siblings were they to observe him cleaning like a common maid. Kol and Rebekah would tare him apart, Freya with her amused face would probably do her best to make it worse by offering Caroline suggestions.. Elijah. He suddenly missed his brother impossibly so Elijah would have derived joy out of seeing him like this. He felt an awful pang of guilt suddenly that he had gotten this second chance and his brother had remained dead. He could only hope wherever he was he was too busy chasing after Hayley to be unhappy.

The work carried him through the house and though dated there were pictures of the girls here and it was obvious they had once inhabited it as a family home. How would life have been if he had just stopped his conquests? He couldn't help but wonder if he had just given up on New Orleans and taken his family and Hope, came to find Caroline would his brother still be alive? Perhaps he and Caroline would have shared this cozy little nest raising their children?

His time in hell's torment had changed him he mused. Once he would have run from such a novel concept of existence, rebelled that he could even entertain such boredom. Now it felt like a dream unrealized, a paradise he had lost and wished so very much he could be given another chance at claiming.

In that moment he attained a greater clarity as he swept the floor like a commoner. He did want that, he wanted a peaceful life with Caroline at least as peaceful as their existence could ever be. He could imagine waking up to her every morning doing some simple thing like reading the paper or making her breakfast and it felt like heaven.

Leaning the broom against the wall he caught her in his arms as she walked back into the room. "Caroline .. what do you want out of life ?" He asked looking down into her eyes questions burning behind his own begging to be answered.

She gave him the most curious look pressing her lips together as if she were trying to figure him out and failing for the first time in a long time.

"Klaus Mikaelson are you making plans for our future?" She said in mock disbelief as she shook her head. " Oh I don't know what does the mighty hybrid want?" She changed the subject and he smirked knowing he had her off balance for once.

Slipping behind her he wrapped his arms around her his chin leaning on her shoulder as he thought of the exact words to define what he wanted. " I thought perhaps something different love? You and I a small home away from all of this drama. Nothing to worry about except you and I enjoying our time together and the occasional visit from our rather difficult children.

" That sounds wonderful..though not too far away from the school and what if the girls need me ? Ric wont live forever and there is always something happening somebody needs to be here and OH MY GOD WHAT IF SOMETHING HAPPENS TO THE GIRLS AND I'M NOT HERE .. "

He just stared watching with more than a little amusement as the tension and worry turned to near panic. This was her imaging every hypothetical disaster and assuming she was the only solution to any of them. He kissed her just to halt the decent into madness his lips not parting from hers until he felt the tension begin to ebb.

"Nice quit place **in **Mystic Falls got it . " He said making a motion as if he were checking something off the list. She was looking at him half embarrassed and he just shook his head. " Love you cannot tend to the entire world but if you intend to try then I suppose I must make the disastrous attempt myself. "

" Klaus I know its so much to ask. I know you've traveled the world and a place like this is just boring but this is where my family is and the kids in that school depend on me."

"Caroline." He said her name softly stopping her in her tracks. " How could you ever imagine I would think any life with you could be boring?" He asked as if he thought her daft. " I made the mistake of mucking up what we could have had once before I would gladly take it any place in the world so long as I have you at my side . "

He paused looking into her eyes cupping her chin so that her eyes moved upward to meet his. " Caroline I want you to be with me forever, to be mine forever. "

"You have to be better than that.." She said causing him to frown deeply. " I mean like the next time you ask me for forever you better be on one knee " She turned around going back to her work as if she had said nothing leaving his mouth hanging agape like some sort of suffocating fish.


	9. Chapter 9

_I am a slave _The thought rolled across his mind as it often did at this time of night. He hated it, Azreal had never wanted to be like this in the first place. Demon's were created one of two ways, either by the backlash of an incredibly evil event, or by the twisting of a pure soul by a contract with another demon.

Funny how he could hardly remember the girls face anymore, the one he had sold his soul for. A thousand years could do that to your mind, chip away at things that had once been fundamental making them nothing but dust upon the wind.

He had been the simple son of a warrior back then. A fool chasing the heart of the prettiest girl in his village. Kain had come to him offering him honor and glory, the heart of the woman he loved and he had taken his deal thinking he would live long and enjoy the fruits. His death had been sudden and inglorious, gored to death by a boar on the hunt. Of course now he knew it had all been Kain's doing but there was nothing to be done Kain could break him so easily.

During the calm, when Kain was sealed away he had learned to enjoy his life. He had traveled the world and delighted in its pleasures. Even learned like most of his kind to live as a ghost among the other supernaturals and reap the benefits of their labors.

Then had come the call, the merciless pain in his chest beckoning not just he but all of his kind back to their masters side. Like so many he had fought it but one could only take the pain of their very soul being drawn in twain for so long. In order to cease the agony he had returned and bent the knee, taken part in this sickening war between heaven and hell.

Now here he sat trying to lure an unsuspecting girl into the same trap that had been lain for him. He knew he would succeed because he always had. He would charm her, romance her until she would do anything for him. Once the ink was dry upon the contract the Saltzman girl would belong to his master. The perfect bait to lure her mother and Klaus Mikaelson from hiding. He would use her to lure the other sister and then the gemini would pay a hefty price to have them back it was a perfect scheme and it made him no better than Kain.

His phone lit up in the darkness and he suppressed the soft smirk that tugged at his features.

_Lesson one newbie, downstairs now._

The message was signed with a wink and he couldn't stop the image of her wicked smirk that sprung to his mind. Honestly he didn't know what he was doing with this one. She was beautiful and intelligent, strong willed. She had also already served her purpose giving him information. Yet he was still playing at this game, when his energies were better spent elsewhere.

He slid on his clothes and fixed his hair silently slipping out of the room careful not to awaken any of the slumbering students. Of course he knew she was there as he stepped to the bottom of the stairs but he let her grab him dragging him back into the darkness. Her face was inches from his a Cheshire grin splitting her features. She held her finger to her lips. She was all seduction and game, the way even the placement of her finger served as a suggestive bridge between her lips and his, the set of her hip the flicker in her eyes. Were he the teenage boy he proclaimed to be he would have melted fallen a puppet to her fingers.

Azreal as it was found himself rather taken by the devious work of art that was Penelope Park and the many webs she spun. He followed her out of the school watching as she spelled the barrier on the kitchen door and they were gone through the woods.

" and where the bloody hell might I ask are we going this night ?" He smiled following her.

" Well I thought " She stopped leaning against the back wall that lead out of the school turning so her back was to it and she was in front of him her finger poking his chest and trailing a moments mischief along his breast bone that caused his body to shiver. " You could use a break from the masquerade. Lesson one indulge yourself or you will forget how to do it and become boring."

" Oh and you are going to teach me to indulge?" He gave her his own smirk and watched the surprise flicker behind those vibrant eyes. " If you play your cards right." She smiled and leaped over the wall leaving him to follow in her wake.

" Again where are we going ? You know Barney Fife is on the look out for all of the students from the school after dark . " He said lamely looking around for the town sheriff.

" Oh were going somewhere he won't be looking." She smiled all too sweetly and perhaps even as old as he was he realized he might be in a bit of trouble.

She lead him far out of town and he was suddenly very aware of the naivety and faith in her own strength she showcased. He had learned all about the Malivore and he was aware of the reach of the entity known as Triad, it would have been far too easy to abduct her on such an excursion. She lead him down into what he could guess was an old prison on the outskirts of the old Lockwood mansion. He looked at the chains on the walls, the old Iron doors and smiled.

"I had no idea this was the kind of indulgence you meant gorgeous. " He was holding one of the chains and looking at her absolutely evilly. " Oh you wish " she said lighting a few candles and sitting down there was a bag there and he could see liquor sticking out of it.

" You wanted to learn the kind of magic the school wont teach you I thought we'd have some fun."

" I thought my idea was better " he teased sliding down onto the floor looking at her in the flickering candle light.

" Your different when you relax a little more edge and fun to you I like it .." She said as she opened a book and lay it in front of them.

" We are going to work on a listening enchantment something to let you spy on idiots its fun ."

" So why Lizzie ?" She asked suddenly and he looked at her questioningly

" Why jealous of manic barbie?" He caught the momentary flush in her face but he ignored it. " Easy chasing after a girl like her ruined my life once, maybe I like leveling the playing field for unsuspecting fools like the one I used to be. "

" Besides she kind of lets me fly under the radar with most of the people trying to avoid her irritating ass. Eventually ill drop her on her face so hard the air in her head will pop out of her ears and maybe next time she will think twice about messing with innocent boys." He gave her his best aloof shy look.

She laughed at that one and reached into her bag grabbing a bottle. " I knew I liked you, maybe you do know how to indulge yourself a little. Now study newbie I want you to do this spell before we drag home drunk. "

He made a bit of a show of failing a few times before he executed the spell. He had possessed many witches over the years and magic came fairly naturally to him. " There now share the wealth she devil ." He said reaching for the bottle which she held back over her head as he reached for it. " No way mine." She laughed causing him to lean precariously over the top of her. He knew the game, she was going to kiss him but he decided to throw her for a loop leaning closer on his own his lips tasting hers softly his hand curling around the bottle." thanks .." He said backing away taking a drink.

His eyes were on hers as she tried to plot her next move it was obvious she was used to being the spider not the creature stepping into a web and she was realizing she might have underestimated him. He threw her a lifeline.

" Man someone in that school had a fondness for good bourbon.. " He was about to say more when he heard the sound of foot steps. They both doused the candles and faded back into the corner. He was curiously aware of how she chose to lean against him her body curved into his purposefully he had her intrigued.

_Matt _

A female voice called and after a moment the sheriff met with another figure in the dark. He felt himself shiver for a moment at the brown haired girl. _Katherine Pierce … how was she alive? _He could fight her off easily enough but it would involve exiting his body and exposing himself. He looked at the girl next to him and then back to the scene as his mind calmed itself and he realized this woman was older, and had to to be the one called Elena Gilbert.

_Yeah I'm here and don't call me that Cordi .._

Cordilane? The name crashed through his mind and he instinctively pulled the girl closer to him farther into the shadows. Cordilane was one of Kain's favorites and about twice his age. That meant the sheriff was probably her lap dog Remi. He could have saved his skin right there by revealing himself but something made him hesitate. He couldn't move the thought of tossing the girls life away for his own displeased him and it deeply disturbed him.

_This girl is boring as hell but master Kain was right all of these idiots trust her I already know where Klaus is._

Remi rolled his eyes the expression looking foreign on the sheriffs face.

_Good lets get Az and get the hell out of here ?_

Cordilane sighed and shook her head indignantly.

_Not this time love he really screwed this up master wants him to take the fall as a distraction while we secure them so we wait until he gets himself in deep and expose him._

Azreal felt his entire body tense on the inside of his shell. He was being used as bait a common distraction. This entire mission was just some plan to put him to use before he was properly punished. He didn't hear the rest of their conversation really because he was going numb. He felt Penelope squeeze his leg to make sure he was ok.

_So what do we do about our spies?_

He heard Remi's voice and saw the sadistic set to his jaw as Cordilane turned her gaze on them.

_I am afraid they have to die do try not to make a mess._

He assessed the situation and grabbed Penelopes arm she was already trying to run. He knew they would fall on them before these bodies could do a thing. He closed his eyes and opened them turning them a horrible shade of onyx black and they shot out in a flicker of black smoke. He held it as long as he could and got them onto the street breathing hard.

"Listen to me go back to your school tell them their enemies know where to find Klaus Mikaelson and forget you knew me." He could run for a while he had lasted months the last time but he knew how this ended. He was going to the fire, to the pit of hell that was the only punishment Kain preferred but he certainly wasn't going to be his bait.

Penelope caught hold of his arm as he turned to leave.

" Yeah that's not gonna work she said forcefully "Who the hell are you?! I am not doing a thing until you tell me who those people are and what kind of magic you just did."

He knew if she stayed here they would find her. His flicker had left a trail even a novice could follow, it was hard to hide when you carried someone. He looked into the distance and sighed ." If you want to know we have to hide.." He couldn't just leave her here. There it was that nagging attachment that had already signed his death warrant. He grabbed her hand and dragged her off into the night.


	10. Chapter 10

Two of the students were missing and Ric was absolutely losing his mind. Penelope's parents were threatening to destroy his existence. The boys parents were in the process of doing it, it was called a lawsuit and it always took a ton of money to shut one of those down. Worse his daughter was trying to burn the school down.

" That bitch she stole my boyfriend !" Lizzie boomed on the last part and MG kind of shuddered looking down and to Josie for help who had chosen the worlds best time to become interested in a painting she had seen a thousand times.

"Hey what if something really happened ?" He offered " What if they are really in danger ?"

Her face contorted in the I am rejecting everything you just said because I am Lizzie kind of way . " Its Penelope she hates me she stole my boyfriend and they are off doing god knows what ." She said in a resolute kind of way. He just sighed dejectedly, first he didn't like the way she kept throwing the boyfriend word around it always did wonders for his self esteem, second he could tell they were in for a long month.

"Ill help you look I bet something just happened ." The tone of his voice sounded way more upbeat than he felt. _Yeah ill help you find your boyfriend so you can ignore me again he thought sadly. _

She smiled thanks MG you are such a good friend " giving that dagger one more good solid turn as she headed up stairs. "Ill search her room, come on Josie you used to consort with Satan. " She said hijacking her sister conveniently leaving MG out in the cold yet again.

He just kind of wandered through the halls for a while. The truth was this was off the path even for Penelope and he was really worried. She didn't just take off on an adventure, she did her prowling around the school and to great effect. He found himself headed outside to the hang out on the outskirts of the school of course there was no sign of her here either they had searched here this morning.

Frozen he couldn't move there was something here something it smelled like. Too late he realized what it was too late because his eyes were turning red because his face contorted. He was standing in a pool of blood. He fell to his knees feeding it into his mouth with his bare hands. When he found the body, Raphs body on some level he registered that but he couldn't stop himself. He started to gorge himself . A ripper surrounded by blood in a confined space he had had no warning and his self control shattered .

Screams erupted in the school people were running through the halls and when Ric found him he was almost feral.

He heard his voice kind of like it was in an echo chamber asking him to calm down. He just didn't want to listen to it. The blood was so sweet, the blood made him feel strong. He wasn't the weak little comic book nerd. He was a vampire, a strong well fed vampire.

"What are you gonna stake me ?" He asked sliding down the steps. The blood he had had so far was dead. Live blood he could just taste it, he would feel like he was flying,

Lunging and then blurring at him he missed, Ric dodging out of the way. He was many things but not ready for a baby vampire was not one of them. He just couldn't get himself to stake him.

The words amused him honestly. This dusty old bleeding heart trying to appeal to him, to some humanity in him. He was hungry and this old fart was wasting his time when he could be eating. He was old anyway, hopeless a bourbon bum hiding behind the responsible dad disguise so people wouldn't know he was pathetic.

"Come on it is only hurt for a minute ." he said lunging again and still he moved out of the way.

"MG don't make me do this " He heard the plea in Rics voice as the stake came into his hand. This time he managed to get right in his face. " Do it then go ahead. " He taunted smiling. "Kill me send a letter home to my mom tell her it was an accident, isn't that what you always do when you fail one of us ?" He saw the pain burn across Rics face and he was about to use it to his advantage about to go for his throat, when something started burning him. He felt like he was withering , he whirled around and snapped what he saw tore him apart .

Lizzie was bleeding standing there looking at the blood trickling down her arm as if she couldn't believe it had happened. He saw fear in her eyes, something he had absolutely never seen there. Not when she was looking at him and he collapsed tears billowing down his face.. "I didn't do it I didn't kill him I am sorry, I am sorry " he started in a stream of panic over and over again.

She just stood there for a long moment. He thought she was going to leave him there. He thought she was going to tell him to never talk to her again. He wished she would kill him, he wished she would light him on fire and burn him to death because he had hurt her. He was looking at the blood on her arm and he didn't want it. He was a ripper and he didn't want her blood looking at it and knowing he was the one who did it made him want to die.

Lost in his own thoughts he didn't realize it until he felt it. She had put her arms around him and she was shushing him looking at her dad with a look that said she could handle this as she took him inside, knowing she was going to have to lock him up.

Ric let out a breath he had been holding the whole time and went to the body. What he saw froze him in his tracks. He had seen this kind of dust before. Usually it was accompanied by a Landon shaped form that sprang back to life. He didn't see that. Someone had done the impossible and he had to tell Hope. Not only had he lost two students. Now he had a double murder on his hands.


	11. Chapter 11

A thousand years of servitude an unending mass horrible misdeeds. A road map of terror burned into the scar tissue of his soul. He was ugly, he was irredeemable, a corrupt tool of the darkness he was accountable to no one at ease with the blackness of his heart.

How was it then that he felt so despicable under her eyes, felt the need to justify himself simply because she expected him too? What was this madness ? He would be accountable to no woman.

"You owe me that explanation she said that displeased look carving its way onto her face and he looked away. He didn't know what he was doing, just that his walls meant nothing because she moved through them as if they were smoke.

What could he do when this incessant ringing was in his ears? What could he do when he realized too late the odd feeling he felt was a the heart he thought he long ago purged into oblivion?

He told her of the ages of agony, he told her of the loneliness of the lies of Kain of the destruction his disobedience would bring. He told of her of the days when he wished he could fly like a bird far away and lastly he told her the truth he told her why he was at her school, he told her everything.

The slap rang through the air between them, through the darkness of the caves where he had hidden them away. He barely felt it and yet it somehow stung him so deeply it terrified him.

" Why even help me, why not run away? " She asked glaring at him. He just stared at her in all of her righteous rage and he gave the only answer he could " I couldn't the thought of his foul hands on your soul was too much to bare."

She seemed taken aback for a minute and then she poked him in his chest. "You are going to help me fix this. " She said with all of the self-confidence he had come to expect from her.

Laughter he couldn't help it. He had to laugh at the way she looked at him like it was as simple as that.

"I am going to help you fight the devil? I mean its that easy? Let me explain something to you, I am worse than dead. He will banish me to the pits for twice as long as I have served him. Until I have been scoured of my every thought or whim. "

"Would you quit being a bitch ?"

He blinked. and gave her this incredulous look. This girl absolutely could not be for real, she was a dream. This was one of Kain's tricks, he was already being punished and he didn't know it?"

"First of all you aren't going back to him. " She said flatly " He can't have you. Now this body is the person you took it from still alive?" He balked " Like hell I don't like sharing headspace with people. "

He thought about it when he saw the look on her face. " I didn't kill him, that's not how this works. His father sold his soul for his fortune. His mother of course has not a clue about that arrangement. I doubt the boys soul even exists any longer people like him don't last long down there. "

"We are going back, you aren't telling anyone about this except the head master and Hope Mikaelson do you understand? Lizzie probably already thinks I ran off with her boyfriend and she can think that. We have witches, and we will find a way to keep you in that body."

" Why would you do that?" He asked before he could check himself.

She just sat there thoughtfully for a long time as if she wasn't sure herself. " Maybe I don't like that someone took advantage of someone and has continued to do it for a thousand years, or maybe I just don't like the idea of you going back to the pit. " She looked at him and he shivered because her lips were on his neck trailing up to his ear.

"One thing though you aren't his anymore Azreal you are mine " It sent a tremor through him the way she said it. He had never been anyone's he didn't even belong to himself anymore. He was a shell, a tool that could neither dream nor know happiness that was less than a fleeting lie.

Yet here she was, here she was with that devilish grin, those enthralling touches, offering him a place to belong, offering him the warmth of it. She didn't know it of course but she had offered him a chance to exist again. She had offered him a reason when he had none. He simply had to believe it, he had to believe her words to believe he belonged to her and that made it ok to live.

The kiss just sort of happened, an unchaste hotness to it as their lips met. The tension of her fingers in his hair dragging him into his own personal euphoria a his tongue danced its dance of want with hers and only when the air was devoid of their lungs did they break it his eyes marveling down upon her as he nodded his head .

' I will be yours I am yours " he conceded because that was how he felt. He knew of course it was madness on some level. This kind of thing did not happen in his world, it had never happened to his knowledge but he felt the gravity and truth in his concession.

"Good boy " she tapped the side of his cheek gently and stood up going to get her cell phone. She dialed her trump card. "Jojo I screwed up again can you have your dad get in the old mobile and come get me ?"

She hung up and gave him this fiend innocent look. "I am sorry I just got so carried away " she said batting her eyelashes.. " He will buy it. You he might shoot with his favorite crossbow. "

"Lovely Penelope absolutely lovely" he said rather dryly. He was sitting in the back of a jeep getting his ass chewed completely off by super dad within the hour.

"I am not even going to address what you put Lizzie through because I will have to kill you . Are you two insane? Penelope you know what is out there, you know what could have happened?" He was shaking and she bit her lip in a way that told Azreal she actually felt bad. She made this face and leaned into Azreals shoulder with this kind of dreamy look and Ric made a sound like an enraged animal and didn't talk for the rest of the trip. She was right this guy was absolutely entirely too easy to manipulate.

What he wasn't expecting was the solemn tone that met them when they returned. They had both expected Lizzie to come running like one of those terrible women on a nineties talk show instead she was down stairs with the boy called MG.

"Look I will come up with a punishment later. For now you two upstairs …TO YOUR SEPARATE ROOMS and just stay safe ok." He looked impossibly tired as he headed up stairs to his office. Azreal frowned but he complied not wanting to make a scene for now. He fell down into the bed in an attempt to digest the doom he had committed himself to. Like the little devil on his shoulder however she fell into the bed beside him. He looked over at her trying to decide if he had simply traded one devil for another.


	12. Chapter 12

A thousand years of life, of traveling the world an existence filled with every kind of indulgence the world had to offer. Yet now all he could ask himself was if he had ever lived at all? How had he lived without the way her smile made him feel? How had he lived without the absolutely adorable way she could turn the smallest thing into a disaster and expect him to fix it? More importantly the sense of accomplishment doing so gave him? A thousand little obsessions to replace the turmoil that had once filled him but this morning as it turned out, would be filled with the captivation of a single graceful, finger.

The morning sun had not even risen yet and he had been awake contemplating this seeming new lease on life. The chance to do over again, the things death had left him to lament when her arm had slid across the bed in her sleep searching. And when she found him. The way that finger curled against his hand.

Such a small inconsequential thing and yet it meant everything to him. Here she was his queen, his Aphrodite come down from the highest peaks of Olympus. Perhaps she needed comfort? Perhaps even she dreamed of him but the point was she wanted him. She sought him out even in her sleep. She, who once had feared him, even loathed him. Now offered him her heart and all of these treasures. That was what he thought of them as now treasures so irreplaceable that to lose a single one might destroy his very being. The truth of it all was that lying there curled up next to him with that adorable finger clinging to his hand as if it were the source of all peace and tranquility was his redemption. Everything had been for her, even his daughter without this beautiful woman his heart never would have thawed to see the gift that she absolutely was. Love seemed such an insignificant word, to throw before what he now had for his own but if use it he must, he loved her beyond any human comprehension of the word.

Only the sun could end that moment peaking through the clouds of morning to bring upon him the beauty of her eyes looking up at him.

"Good morning love " he whispered softly still lost in the moment. Only he was jolted by a sound so horrendous he had learned to loath it. The song was a demonic entity from the depths of hell itself. They called it baby shark." Your alarm is sounding Yet again." he shuddered leaning into kiss her on her forehead.

"Oh come on Klaus its totally adorbs and the younger kids at the school love it." She said fixing him with one of those smiles that made even blasphemy to his ears a forgivable offense.

He knew today was their last day of this; he knew that no part of him wanted it to be. However they had made the decision, the kids at the school were in danger and she was going back to work, which meant he was going. They had talked it out at great length in fact. The rest of his family needed to know he was alive but more importantly if they were being hunted. A Klaus Mikaelson acting as he was expected to standing out front and scoffing at his enemies instilled a terror that could keep everyone safe.

He was watching her pull what he imagined was an awful casserole out of the oven, which he planned to eat with the delight of a newborn, seeing the spring for the first time when the door slammed. He whirled around confronted by his daughter. There were tears in her eyes, angry tears that were always the worst sign with a Mikaelson.

" DID YOU DO IT!" She screamed knocking the coffee cup out of his hand. He barely had time to formulate his confusion into a response before she slapped him.

"You didn't like him, you didn't like him so you killed him!" She raged poking him in the chest. Caroline put her arm out to stop what surely she was afraid was going to be a massive fight in her moms house.

"Honey what are you talking about? He couldn't have done anything he's been here with me."

"Landon's dead. He was safe, he couldn't die. HE SHOWS UP AND ALL THE SUDDEN MY BOYFRIEND IS DEAD " She screamed breaking out into hysterics.

Hurt this feeling, which even now felt foreign to him. The kind of hurt someone could inflict when walls meant nothing to their displeasure or rage because they had an open door to ones heart.

He knew Caroline saw it in his eyes even though he did his best to hide it . "Hope I did no such thing, do you think that is what I came back here for? What tortured me for countless days in that hell? That I came here to dictate whom my daughter could date? No, no, no littlest wolf. " He punctuated that by throwing his arms around her. She swung, she kicked, she bit him but he didn't let her go and after a while she just dissolved into sobs against his chest. Caroline coming in as well and sandwiching her between them as they just held her.

There was no escaping it was there? The violence of what they where? She had been so brave, here fighting it all by herself all this time. That was over now, he didn't want to be that Klaus anymore. He didn't want to be the self-styled hybrid king, the vicious original. He just wanted to be with Caroline, he just wanted to be Hopes dad. That was the title that now meant more to him than any he had ever held. However, the enemy had walked in and shattered his daughter's happiness. They had chosen to open a box filed away and marked do not disturb in his mind.

They thought themselves clever, strong or vicious but what they had done is open the door to their own demise. There would be blood for this, there would be blood for the tears in Caroline's eyes for her lost student. There would be blood and it would flow like a river for the anguish he heard in his daughter saw on her beautiful face. They would pay their price a thousand times over and beg him for death.


	13. Chapter 13

The pale look of his skin, the sweating even though they were in a well cooled diner. Everything down to the way he had been struggling to cut the steak she had ordered him with his eggs. Bonnie saw it all and it crushed her. I mean this was Damon Salvatore. He was so many things, a snarky asshole, the kind of cocky that made you always want to take him down a peg or two. Handsome even if that was something she was terrified to admit to herself. This shaking sickly looking frail human being just could not be him. Looking at him now she was certain he had been taken down about as many pegs as a man could be taken down without killing him.

Letting out a sigh she slid his plate away from him cutting the meat and sliding it back. " Eat it " she said eliciting maybe a brief moment of the old Damon behind those eyes that used to stun to near oblivion with a look then it was just gone.

He took a bite swallowed it and looked at her for the longest time as if plotting his course carefully. "Bonnie why are you here really? I mean you had years to come see your good buddy Damon why now really?" There was a tone of bitterness to the way he said it and it was impossible to miss.

" Oh I don't know you abandoned my favorite niece? You haven't talked to your friends in months and as usual its Bonnies job to fix it? I mean does that sum it up for you Damon?"

"Abandoned is that what she told you?" He said that old anger in his eyes. In an odd way it was comforting to see that fire. That was Damon _her_ Damon, it scared everyone else when he did that. They recoiled away and it was what he expected but she never did that not anymore she never could.

"Because I recall it different, I seem to remember coming home from work at my bar. I remember finding the good sheriff balls deep in my wife. I also seem to remembering being told that if I didn't leave her everything including my daughter and go her and the asshole were going to come up with a whole lot of literal evidence that I was a murder. Yes I left so that my baby girl didn't have to realize her father is a monster " He said the last trembling tears in his eyes as he hands just shook .

She watched him in silence for long moments. There were a thousand ways she could tell he was lying and she didn't see any of that. The only thing she saw was hurt, betrayal and sadness in his eyes The tears that streamed down his face offended her in ways nothing on the face of this earth wanted to offend her.

_Who the fuck did she think she was ? _The thought pierced her mind angry and hot. _Who the hell did Elena think she was to do this to him? _Again and again she kept thinking it. This was Damon, her Damon she had trusted her. She had left him with her bowed out because she thought she was doing what was best for him and she did this?!

" I'm all alone Bon " he said his voice breaking and with it most of the glasses in the diner and the window in front of their booth. The coffee cup she was holding had broken and her hand was bleeding.

"Holy shit hey we have to go " He said that old note of urgency in his voice. Apparently taking care of Bonnie still came second nature to him because he had her out the door so fast and into her car wrapping her hand in his coat.

"Bonnie what the hell, are you ok what was that?" He asked having little doubt that she had done it. " Did she tell you not to see me again too? " she asked a dangerous edge to her voice. Things were starting to make sense and she didn't like it. This was classic Elena. She would tell him in the bargain he couldn't see her then call her with this sob story thinking she wouldn't be able to find him.

Damon looked conflicted as if he didn't really want to answer but the look in his eyes told her more than enough. Elena had tried to use her as the last dagger in Damon's coffin and she had almost played right into it.

"No Damon you aren't. " she said looking at him and taking his hand tentatively. There was this kind of rightness to it as if her hand had been made just to fit within its curves. His fingers laced between hers as she held it there.

His eyes darted down to her hand as if for a second he couldn't fathom it being there. " I am not what Bonnie?" He asked having forgotten anything he said in the sheer panic that she might be hurt or possessed or god knew what.

"You aren't alone you idiot you have me." She said her voice full of conviction. There was no way this was going to stand. Elena wanted to play dirty? She could more than play back. There was no world where she was going to sit back and watch her destroy Damon.

She opened her arms almost on instinct. He needed comfort; he needed to be all right. She had been off seeing the world, off running from her problems and Damon was here alone with this pain. The whole thing was stupid of course he wasn't going to do anything she thought awkwardly.

Damon flung himself against her arms and let it all out he just cried like he had wanted to for so long. He was used to solving the problems, he was used to being the one who did something when it needed to be done. The bad guy when the hard decisions had to be made. Nobody took care of him when he needed. No one except her and the moment she had stepped back into his life he had felt somehow safer. He had felt stronger. He wasn't alone he had Bonnie and if he had Bonnie he was going to be ok.


	14. Chapter 14

**Cordilain and Azreal 1912**

The air was cold blown in by one of those wild sea winds that always reminded him of his father. The days of hunting, of fishing with the men to feed the village., always a lesson, always some kernel designed to turn him into the man he was meant to be. Doubtless father dearest had never imagined what he would become was a Demon.

"So you can just jump into anyone you want? No contracts, no deals just pop in for a visit?" He asked a bit worriedly of the blond who was at present lounging on the deck of the ship a bored look in her eyes.

"Oh Azzy always with the questions, why cant we just enjoy each others company?" she said giving him a rather suggestive look. "Because you have me at a constant disadvantage, all we do is have fun. You promised me lessons, the kind that don't include your favorite activities " he said the last word with a bit of a jump to his voice.

"I don't recall you complaining little love " she teased him sitting up. "Fine spoil my fun ask your questions don't pout."

"How is that possible, how can you do those things when I cannot?" The merit of being able to swap bodies at will was not lost on him and it was a secret he was determined to learn if he could.

Her lips curled into this kind of half indulgent smile.

" You cant and you never will as long as the master is imprisoned. You see who we are, what we are is all about souls. All about our value in a very tedious battle between our master and what's his face that created all of this. The more you contribute, the more you will be rewarded the more of the spoils you share. Right now you aren't worth sharing with so I am afraid you have to arrange your own bodies, sign your own deals in order to subsist a situation that cannot change without master here to count your contributions. "

She said with this sort of far away sad look.

"Then why are we here again?" he asked leaning over the rail looking down to the lower deck as she walked over running her hands up his legs trailing to touch places that made him shiver in the most delicious way.

"Because my sweet there are other ways to grow ones power. Way's pups like yourself are not yet ready to handle, you can steal the contributions of others" His eyes widened a moment of stark terror filling his eyes as she laughed kissing him on the cheek.

"Not you silly goose, him. " she said gesturing below to a tall man in a suite. "Ishmael is his name he's old. Not nearly as old as me of course but he will add to my strength." She said licking her lips.

There was a terrifying quality to her when she was like this. Something that made the skin crawl even when it was not your own, a certain feel about her that reminded you she was Kain's favorite for a reason. Unfortunately he could not focus on that exactly because her fingers were currently depriving him of almost every bit of sanity he had.

" Will you do that to me one day?" he asked his breath shuddering.

There was a pause as if she were contemplating. "Most likely if it becomes necessary but don't worry that will not be for a long time." she said as if that was supposed to reassure him.

"Don't get attached Azreal, not to anyone, not even to me. That is the most important rule you could ever learn. Have your moment's as fleeing at they are but always have eyes in the back of your head. You never know who is going to put a knife in those exquisite shoulders." She said kissing them and then abruptly slamming her fist between them causing him to jump as she made off down the deck.

**Present day**

Fifty years he had mentored under her and it was a time full of those little lessons, a time when he had learned so much of how he survived. Perhaps in his own way he had even loved her but those words had stuck with him every day. That was exactly why his current predicament would have driven his former self into a fit of laughter.

His eyes rolled in annoyance as this middle-aged fool attempted to put the proverbial screws to him. Penelope had been sitting quietly even as he told his story leaving out the more dirty parts.

"How does that tell me anything wait oh god you sank the Titanic ?"

" Fifteen hundred souls on the books she gave me thirty percent." He shrugged

Ric drew back like he was going to hit him. "You son of a bitch doesn't human life mean anything to you?"

"Some more than others, but you are missing my point. The fact that I am not dead means she has a reason to leave me alive. I can assure you where that not the case I would be without the benefit of a head instead of speaking with you. "

" What about Elena and Matt?" He asked worriedly.

"No doubt abandoned as I told you I didn't sense her or her little lap dog inside them. Now can I go? I unlike you actually have important things to do like finding them."

"No you can't go I am going to lock you up " He said a dead serious tone in his voice.

"Hey you cant do that." Penelope finally broke in. " First of all you couldn't hold him to begin with, secondly he's the only one who can see them when they are inside someone else. Third he risked his life by changing sides for us and you can't just lock him up. Fourth ill tell my parents you like to play special headmaster games with me when no one else is around."

Ric was just staring at her his mouth having gone completely dry. The whole thing was a lie of course but he knew damn well Penelope Park could make them believe it. " Fine take him out of here and if you find anything you tell me. I swear if he does anything to any of the students." He left the threat as vague as possible to let their minds figure it out.

Azreal followed her down the hall in silence for the longest time just marveling until she looked up and gave him this smirk. " What?"

"You are so beautifully sinister you could be a demon yourself. " He said giving her a look that told her suddenly he very much wanted to know how sinister.


	15. Chapter 15

A smell? How could one smell, a sight or a sound bring back so much? Klaus stared down at the burned wood. The outline of the boy who had died there still fresh, the blood still prevalent in the wood and yet that was not what almost kicked his entire being into frenzy.

Brimstone, he could smell it above all of it, the smell that had filled his mind during his brief moments of consciousness. So much of it had started to come back to him, the heat, the pain, and the feeling of pure hopelessness. He had wandered for a time after his death, himself and Elijah keeping a silent watch over their family but the day had come when Hayley had called Elijah home. That was the day he should have left, the day he should have gone to peace himself and yet there was so much left undone.

Day upon day he had wandered sometimes watching Hope others he would sit and wish he could talk to his sister and on the worst he would beg for just a moment, the most fleeting of moments with his Caroline. In this one horrible moment all of that came rushing back. Lost' he had become so lost and could no longer find peace. That was when the demons had approached him and offered him his way out. Like a fool he had taken it and it had nearly cost him everything.

"Klaus …Klaus." Caroline was suddenly next to him her hand on his arm calming the chaos that danced behind his eyes. "A thing of hell did this, one of the beings that inhabited the place they held me prisoner. Caroline I cant let them touch my daughter she will not know the horrors of that place " His voice was full of tremor as he said it and she pulled him away as if trying to put as much distance between he and this spot as she could.

"How? They couldn't have just walked into the school without us knowing. " She said fear in her voice and he sighed trying to measure his response. "Love they can wear almost any face it could have even been the other boy that died they could have murdered him to cover their tracks."

"His name is Remy this is obviously his work you will be looking for two of them"

Klaus's head jerked upward as a young boy and girl walked toward them. "How could you possibly know a thing like that boy?" He said already fairly sure he was not going to like the answer.

"Because a colleague of mine once sold you some beach front property in Arizona?" The slang put him off for a second but a half second after that he lunged at him. " YOU ARE ONE OF THEM " He screamed in an absolute rage. Azreal barely had time to scream "_Imperium monstrum" _Which he fully expected to seal him. He had been many witches over his eons but this time something happened that never had before. Klaus waivered and burst right through the barrier he barely pushed Penelope away in time to smoke backwards leaving Klaus grasping at blackness as he whirled around coming at his back. One thing he hated was being attacked without provocation. That was when he learned exactly why Kain was so worried about this Klaus Mikaelson. He had barely begun to reform intent to swat him upside his fool head when Klaus whirled this horrid look of yellow in his eyes and slammed him hard enough to make him see sports.

Klaus was ready to tare the boys head off but quick as a fly the girl who was with him was hovering over him… "GET OUT OF MY WAY " he bellowed and the girl squared her shoulders.. " GO SUCK A DICK.' She retorted so full of venom it put him in mind of his sister.

"Klaus that's enough!" Caroline said finally grabbing his arm. "Ric told you about him he's here to help "

That was the most ludicrous thing he could imagine one of them helping? Yet there was something in the way the girl held the downed fool. The protective posture, the way she soothed him. He had been that beast, he had been the monster when Caroline had met him and he felt he would look the fool if he continued this interaction.

He turned on his heel and stormed back towards the school Caroline following in his wake. There was no stopping him until he reached her room where he sat on her bed his face in his hands. "They tortured me, they peeled away every layer of my existence and on the worst days they made me imagine I had killed you. See Hope dead on the ground. One of those things cannot possibly mean us well "

Warmth he suddenly felt the warmth of her arms around him. The sweet scent of her wash over him and she whispered softly in his ear. "It's ok I've got you " The entire thing was insanity he was Klaus Mikaelson not one to be comforted and not one to need it yet still he felt himself coming apart.

Barrier after barrier in his mind, wall after wall built to hide pain fell to nothing and he wept in her arms, the pain, the suffering, and the fear for his daughter spilling out as she rocked him back and forth. Never had he imagined this was something he could need. How freeing it could be to purge ages of feelings and pain but above all else how it felt to feel safe. The hilarity of it was not lost on him and original a hybrid in the arms of a tiny vampire feeling safe..

His eyes turned upward just watching her. "I wont let him take either of you. I wont let anyone take anything from me again"

"Have you asked Hope how she feels about that?" She asked calmly. " You don't get to fight by yourself. You don't have to she's not a little girl and trust me she isn't going to take this. Sooner or later she's going after them Klaus you aren't alone. You have me and you have your daughter"

There was truth in her words just not truth he could acknowledge out loud. He knew his daughter had grown strong and fierce and he was proud of her on so many levels but in his head she was still that little girl who had changed the course of his life. He wanted to keep her from every kind of harm. He didn't answer he her just basked in her warmth curling into her content for now to simply let himself calm.


End file.
